Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to control of the motion of mobile components, relative to static components, based at least in part upon a linear actuator mechanism using Lorentz forces, also referred to herein as a Lorentz actuator mechanism.
Description of the Related Art
For small devices, including high-end miniature cameras, it is common to configure certain components included in the devices to be movably adjusted, relative to other components. In miniature cameras, such configuration can include configuring one or more components to enable an auto-focus' (AF) function, whereby the object focal distance is adjusted to allow objects at different distances to be in sharp focus at the image plane, to be captured by a digital image sensor. There have been many proposals for achieving such adjustments of mobile components, relative to static components, including adjustment of focal position.
For example, with regard to miniature camera devices, the most common solution is to move the whole optical lens as a single rigid body along the optical axis. Positions of the lens closer to the image sensor correspond to object focal distances further from the camera. Demands on improvements to performance of such miniature cameras are constant, as are demands for continued miniaturization, given the added features and devices added to such mobile devices.
In particular, high image quality is easier to achieve if the lens motion along the optical axis is accompanied by minimal parasitic motion in the other degrees of freedom, particularly tilt about axes orthogonal to the optical axis.
Further to this, there is a strong desire, for a given size of camera, to fit bigger lenses and image sensors to improve image quality, and hence there is a desire to reduce the size of components such as actuator mechanisms. However, some small-sized components, including various components included in actuator mechanisms, can be relatively complex to assemble and can be vulnerable to failure, based at least in part upon small size and complexity of various components.